I picked up my car from EAG.

[rturbo 930]

I'm siding with other people on this.

39K miles with few dings is not 'mint' and for that amount of money you could have bought a used one and replaced everything with new parts + restoration.

> The experience of driving a 39,000 mile E30 is something that not many people have done in a very long time.

Try driving one with a brand new suspension and coil overs. It will drive better. Seriously, $20K.

Lol, no, you cannot restore a car to 'like new' quality for 20k. Go ask Eric/Cabriolet. Pretty sure he spent WAY more than 20k, and that was with him doing all the labor. Restorations are also a massive pain in the ass (again, ask Eric). And what do you mean 'a few dings' ? This car is nicer than pretty much any other car on this board, and it isn't something that was restored by some backyard mechanic. It was built by BMW, to BMW quality standards.

[nrubenstein]

I'm siding with other people on this.

39K miles with few dings is not 'mint' and for that amount of money you could have bought a used one and replaced everything with new parts + restoration.

> The experience of driving a 39,000 mile E30 is something that not many people have done in a very long time.

Try driving one with a brand new suspension and coil overs. It will drive better. Seriously, $20K.

A truly high quality paint job costs $10,000. Paying someone else to do a 100% suspension rebuild with OE parts will cost something like $5k. Re-doing the interior will cost $2-4k.

That is the value proposition of a car like this. By the time you do all that (and a truly rust free car would cost you $5-10k), you'll have spent a fair bit more.

Yes, he could have spent less. But the other thing that people like you forget is that time has a value all of its own. The time required to find a car like this is a real distraction. Not everyone has that time (or can justify it). Burning $20,000 in billable hours to save some money on a purchase is probably not a good tradeoff.

[mark1991]

Bottom line: nobody is driving around in a very nice $5,000 E30. You can buy a decent one for $5,000 but after a year of improvements/repairs/upgrades, you are driving around in a fairly nice $10,000 E30. If you want to be driving a very nice one with a restored body and interior using factory parts and done to factory standards, add at least $15,000. You are now at $25,000.

One more thing and perhaps this is subtle: Go out a drive a low mile original unrestored car. Then, go out and drive a fully restored car. The original car just "feels" better. I am sure that there are technical reasons for this that are beyond my understanding. However, this is true assuming that the original car has been well maintained.

[Aleksey]

A truly high quality paint job costs $10,000. Paying someone else to do a 100% suspension rebuild with OE parts will cost something like $5k. Re-doing the interior will cost $2-4k.

That is the value proposition of a car like this. By the time you do all that (and a truly rust free car would cost you $5-10k), you'll have spent a fair bit more.

Yes, he could have spent less. But the other thing that people like you forget is that time has a value all of its own. The time required to find a car like this is a real distraction. Not everyone has that time (or can justify it). Burning $20,000 in billable hours to save some money on a purchase is probably not a good tradeoff.

You are reaching. $5,000 to rebuild E30 suspension? Does that include GC coil-overs and strong strut bar installed at BMW of Manhattan? If not then that number is wayyyy off. Re-doing interior with high quality after market material /might/ run you that high if you are total sucker.

The point is; this is not a flawless 0 mile E30. It's 30K+ mile E30 w/ imperfections. If buyer is happy that's cool but let's not circle jerk that car because it cost $20K. Give me a break.

This car will need a re-spray in a few years; and your $20K 'mint fan boy E30' is now half the price; if that.

Bottom line: nobody is driving around in a very nice $5,000 E30. You can buy a decent one for $5,000 but after a year of improvements/repairs/upgrades, you are driving around in a fairly nice $10,000 E30. If you want to be driving a very nice one with a restored body and interior using factory parts and done to factory standards, add at least $15,000. You are now at $25,000.

One more thing and perhaps this is subtle: Go out a drive a low mile original unrestored car. Then, go out and drive a fully restored car. The original car just "feels" better. I am sure that there are technical reasons for this that are beyond my understanding. However, this is true assuming that the original car has been well maintained.

You will still spend money on repairs and improvements. Especially if something breaks; who would buy an outdated E30 part .vs better aftermarket alternatives? You want to drive E30 with stock suspension for what... status quo? Is there argument that a quality coil over setup is crap compared to stock E30 suspension? What are you going to do with NLA parts? Ebay them used to keep up w/ 'this is OEM car'?

You guys are circle jerking this so hard it's not even funny; my friend picked up MINT 60K mile E30 M3 (Alpine White) from Florida for $20K last year and it had ZERO paint flaws.

[rturbo 930]

This car will need a re-spray in a few years

Are we talking about the same car? I don't see a single paint flaw in the pics of the car on EAG's site. And there is absolutely no reason it should need a paint job in a few years if it's kept up. Paint doesn't just suddenly go bad.

Re: coilovers - Have you ever considered that maybe the OP actually likes the car as is? You really just don't seem to get what he's after.

[Hooffenstein HD]

You guys are circle jerking this so hard it's not even funny.

QFT.

In no way is a 24 year old "original" car comparable to new. People are fooling themselves.

[kronus]

You are reaching. $5,000 to rebuild E30 suspension? Does that include GC coil-overs and strong strut bar installed at BMW of Manhattan? If not then that number is wayyyy off. Re-doing interior with high quality after market material /might/ run you that high if you are total sucker.

The point is; this is not a flawless 0 mile E30. It's 30K+ mile E30 w/ imperfections. If buyer is happy that's cool but let's not circle jerk that car because it cost $20K. Give me a break.

This car will need a re-spray in a few years; and your $20K 'mint fan boy E30' is now half the price; if that.

You will still spend money on repairs and improvements. Especially if something breaks; who would buy an outdated E30 part .vs better aftermarket alternatives? You want to drive E30 with stock suspension for what... status quo? Is there argument that a quality coil over setup is crap compared to stock E30 suspension? What are you going to do with NLA parts? Ebay them used to keep up w/ 'this is OEM car'?

You guys are circle jerking this so hard it's not even funny; my friend picked up MINT 60K mile E30 M3 (Alpine White) from Florida for $20K last year and it had ZERO paint flaws.

read this, again (or for the first time):

The other thing that people like you forget is that time has a value all of its own. The time required to find a car like this is a real distraction. Not everyone has that time (or can justify it). Burning $20,000 in billable hours to save some money on a purchase is probably not a good tradeoff.

Finding parts? time. knowing what parts to get? time. knowing that there are various parts you need to check/replace before they explode? time. evaluating between different coilover brands? time. (GC isn't really a top-tier coilover brand, btw)

Some people have vastly better things to do with their time than to argue about which cheap ebay aftermarket bushing to put on their 250k-mile beater. These people pay other people, who know things like that, to figure things out for them. It's ok for these people to exist. It's ok for you to not be one of these people.

[mark1991]

To the poster above who has a friend who picked up a mint 60k mile E30 M3 for $20k last year: Your friend either mischaracterized the deal he got or he made out like a bandit and purchased the car from someone who had no idea what his/her car was worth. It seems like someone always has a story to support his/her idea of what can be purchased in today's market. A mint original 60k mile E30 M3 would sell in five minutes priced at $50k.

As a matter of fact, if your friend still has the E30 M3 and if it is truly mint and still has around 60k miles on it, I would give him $50k for it today assuming that it is un-modded and original. You and him can then buy two more mint $20k E30 M3's which you are telling me are out there and still be able to split the leftover $10k between the two of you. The fact is that there are no mint 60k mile E30 M3's out there for anything even approaching $20k.

By the way, the real value in E30's are in original unmolested examples. The modded cars are heavily discounted.

[agent]

Keep it civil and within the rules please everyone.

[mark1991]

Keep it civil and within the rules please everyone.

Makes sense. Also, the guy just brought his 318is home and I am sure he just wants to enjoy his new purchase and would rather not witness an argument about whether he got a good deal or not.

However, I do have a request: We want decent photos of this car posted by the new owner.

[James Crivellone]

People pay for what they want, and people will buy what they want.. this is a completely original, unrestored car.

I know this is the site for enthusiasts, I know we love turning wrenches, but sometimes, just SOMETIMES we may not want to turn a wrench, SOMETIMES we want the best god damn example we can find, and SOMETIMES we will spend more money on it.

Hell, when I bought my E60 M5 I spent as much as I could afford on the best one I could find, and you know what? It has under 50K miles, it has a warranty, and it was exactly what I wanted.. AND it was damn near double the cost a higher mileage 2006 I could, "fix up".

I smile everytime I push the button.. which brings up the age old statement of Time = Money.. If you have the time, build the car and spend the same amount over...time.. but if not, write the check and enjoy driving a fine example of BMW Engineering.

And don't even start on the built not bought crap, because sometimes stock is fine.. hell my e30 touring is damn near stock, and I love it exactly like that.

[nrubenstein]

You are reaching. $5,000 to rebuild E30 suspension? Does that include GC coil-overs and strong strut bar installed at BMW of Manhattan? If not then that number is wayyyy off. Re-doing interior with high quality after market material /might/ run you that high if you are total sucker.

The point is; this is not a flawless 0 mile E30. It's 30K+ mile E30 w/ imperfections. If buyer is happy that's cool but let's not circle jerk that car because it cost $20K. Give me a break.

This car will need a re-spray in a few years; and your $20K 'mint fan boy E30' is now half the price; if that.

To pay someone to do a 100% suspension rebuild with OE quality parts? Hell yes, it's going to cost $5k. The labor is easily $2k for that job, and OE parts are even more. (A GC suspension is going to be around the same price as new OE, and you still haven't bought the long list of parts that you need to go along with it.)

And if I go out today and buy a new car for $20k, it'll be worth $10k in a few years, too. So what?

Reality: The guy paid up to get what he wanted because he cared more about his time than he did about his money.

Apparently, pointing out that you're being a bit of an asshole counts as "circle jerking" in your mind. :)

[nando]

ITT: people who bought a $500 beater and wish they could afford something nicer

I hardly ever see E30s anymore. At least not nice ones.. and certainly nothing like this example. just lots of stance monkeys and wannabe drifters. If one of these kids got ahold of that car, they would probably put some Ebay suspension on it (that they will swear wasn't made in china) and "lay frame bro".

original cars will always be worth more than modified ones, and that will only become more true as time goes on. damn, these cars are getting old!

[Aleksey]

I'm not being an asshole. I have my own opinion. I'm not going to argue w/ you on $5K E30 suspension rebuilds. I live in NYC and been around the block and that number is BMW of Manhattan number. So whatever.

The argument of 'the guy paid what for what he wanted and cared about his time' is old and tired. In order to earn that money he had to put in time too. It did not magically appear from a hole.

If the car would be sitting in a museum sure... but as it stands he will loose value with every single job and mile he puts on ($100's flying out his tail pipe) that's a fact.

I don't know how the dealership operates but with $20k+ if they do not cover repairs / guarantee car to be 100% for X years then this is borderline robbery.

If he paid $50K for it there would still be arguments of how happy he is. Just like when my friend who got married at 20 and people were hating on him, got the same speech 'as long as you are happy'. He is much happier now after a divorce.

Different strokes for different folks. The whole purist angle I get but there is a line where it becomes weird and this line was crossed for /me/ here. I never said anything about buyer; good for him. But you guys are just guessing about everything at this point (just like me, I will admit it).

The fact is, after 1-2 years that car will never sell for $20K or anywhere close to that and it has 30K+ miles and nobody in this world will know how it was driven or how long it sat. Once stuff starts going, this is when you find out what you actually bought .vs 'hey its mint 30k e30!'.

E30's in my opinion are all about fun they are easy to work on and aftermarket competition is solid. You will have fun no matter what; 0 miles or not.

If you want to stick with 'the guy paid for what he is happy'; okay I agree 100% and that's none of my business but that seems to be then only thing here that holds any water. Everything else is questionable. Paying gobs of money for something does not make it a good deal and time is money and money is time. It goes both ways.

[lolcantturn]

The argument of 'the guy paid what for what he wanted and cared about his time' is old and tired. In order to earn that money he had to put in time too. It did not magically appear from a hole.

Old and tired? Really?
Yes, he had to put in time to earn his money. So why would he want to spend more time to find a car that meets his ultimate needs?

If the car would be sitting in a museum sure... but as it stands he will loose value with every single job and mile he puts on ($100's flying out his tail pipe) that's a fact.

Yes, and it's a fact that after you restore a 200k mile E30 to "like new" condition, the same will happen. Except this time, it'll still be a 200k+ mile E30 that was restored, not an original.

If he paid $50K for it there would still be arguments of how happy he is. Just like when my friend who got married at 20 and people were hating on him, got the same speech 'as long as you are happy'. He is much happier now after a divorce.

Logical fallacy.

But you guys are just guessing about everything at this point (just like me, I will admit it).

Nothing to guess about. He has the money, he spent it, and got what he wanted.

The fact is, after 1-2 years that car will never sell for $20K or anywhere close to that and it has 30K+ miles.

Except that OP never said he was attempting to make a return on his investment. In fact, besides being incredibly liquid, cars are one of the worst things to invest in. So this argument applies to your original "restore an E30 like new" argument.

E30's in my opinion are all about fun they are easy to work on and aftermarket competition is solid. You will have fun no matter what; 0 miles or not.

Logical fallacy. These were not OP's goals (besides having fun).

If you want to stick with 'the guy paid for what he is happy'; okay I agree 100% and that's none of my business but that seems to be then only thing here that holds any water. Everything else is questionable. Paying gobs of money for something does not make it a good deal and time is money and money is time. It goes both ways.

If you understood how markets work, value is given because of what people are willing to pay. Guess what, the people at EAG aren't morons, and neither is OP. Because they understand that there are actually some people who make more than $50,000 a year, and are willing to pay top dollar for a car they believe is worth it.